You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have: Creating The Seven Habits That Make A Remarkable Life

It’s easy to take life for granted. In the pursuit of fame, fortune, or success, we forget to take care of ourselves, missing out on things that bring us joy, happiness, and well-being. It’s time to transform burnout into happiness and invest in ourselves, so we can be the best for those who need us most.

In You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have, executive coach and leadership educator Greg Hiebert walks you through seven fundamental habits to becoming personally and professionally fulfilled. Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-life examples, he demonstrates how to embrace purpose, cultivate positivity, deepen relationships, express gratitude, visualize hope, be mindful, and keep moving. He also offers techniques to integrate these habits into any challenging, busy life.

Well-being and resilience aren’t products of luck. Through disciplined practice of these seven habits, you can create a remarkable, fulfilling life–and transform into your very best self.

“This book is exactly what most of us need–a credible tool to help us pause and reflect on who we are, where we are going, and what is the impact of our lives. More importantly, it calls us to action and helps us move out in a practical and inspiring way. I’m excited to digest and use it for myself and am already thinking about how I can send a link to share it with so many of my friends and family who can benefit as well. Great book that will change lives, freeing us to attain a higher level of joy and satisfaction.”

Colonel (USAF Retired) Lee Ellis
Former POW 1967-1973 North Vietnam and acclaimed author of “Leading Talents, Leading Teams, Leading with Honor and Leading with Accountability.”

Why I wrote this book

Approximately 4 years ago I was asked by several client organizations to develop a full day retreat for leaders that would provide them with insights and tools to strengthen resiliency and contribute to their increased levels of joy and happiness. Hopefully if my work was done well, these leaders would take these insights and tools back to their staffs to help them as well. Since I had gone through my own personal transformation of getting happier, more joyful and resilient, I thought I had some very meaningful to share. The client retreats were well received and in 2017 I was asked to speak at many client events on topics of burnout prevention and stress management in addition to resiliency and increased happiness. After many of my talks and presentations, my clients suggested that I write a book that could provide my insights and tools and reinforce the positive message I was sharing across the country.

The Key Things You’ll Learn Inside

First I provide my own tortured journey where for many years my deep insecurities and lack of self-esteem caused me to often have tremendous anxiety and be frequently unhappy. I saw happiness and joy in my life as a destination that I had to earn when I was enough, accomplished enough and had enough. It wasn’t until I had confronted the fact that I had delegated my happiness and joy to outside of myself that I realized I needed to make very different choices for my life. This realization started a transformative journey that continues today. In addition to my own journey, I have been an executive coach and leadership educator for well over 25 years and in that time have taught thousands and coached hundreds of leaders across the United States. In the book I share my greatest insights from teaching, coaching and personal journey on what each of us can do every day to build greater joy, happiness, resiliency and well-being in our lives.

Take for example, happiness as defined by a state of well-being and contentment; and/or a pleasurable or satisfying experience. That first part of the definition, a state of well-being, implies that the most important thing we can do to be truly happy is to be intentional in choosing to be happy. The Dalai Lama says it so well, “Don’t seek happiness; be Happy.” It reminds me of a story of the man who came to Buddha with a big question, “Buddha, I want Happiness-Can you help me find it?” Buddha responds, “To find happiness, first get rid of “I”-that is about ego. And then get rid of “want”, that’s all about desire. See now, you are only left with happiness.”

New and exciting research from the world of Neurosciences and Psychology is showing us that happiness is not only a personal choice but when we truly make it our responsibility, we are happier and that is the precursor to success and not the outcome. In my book, I walk the reader through seven fundamental habits to becoming more personally and professionally fulfilled. Drawing upon cutting-edge research and real-life examples, I provide great clarity about what the reader can do to embrace a greater purpose, cultivate more positivity, deepen their relationships, reflect and express gratitude, visualize and promote hope, be more mindful, and keep moving. The heart of the book is helping the readers see that having greater happiness in our lives isn’t the product of luck or circumstance but through the disciplined practice of these seven habits, they can create more remarkable and resilient lives—and transform themselves into their very best selves.

Don’t Take Our Word For It

“Greg has worked with me for many years as my executive coach and it was exciting to see the many themes we have discussed and woven into our work together show up in the book. His concepts and habits really work. I know my life has been changed for the better because I made a commitment to take better care of myself so that I could be my best self for those I lead and serve. This book is a must read. It will change your life!”

Steve Miff
Chief Executive Officer, PCCI, Dallas, Texas

“This book is a must read for anyone serious about making their life the very best in the service to others. Greg Hiebert is the quintessential Servant Leader. As a physician and community leader, Greg’s practical and inspiring approach has changed my perspective: he has empowered me and my colleagues to realize that self-replenishment and mindfulness is essential in order to continue to give one’s best and in order to live life to the fullest. Get this book. It will change your life!”

Who is this book for?

When I first started writing the book, my intended audience was leaders who were interested in being better leaders for those they led. However, as the book length expanded, I realized that my message was applicable to any adult that is struggling with living a life with greater joy, happiness, resilience and well-being. Given that the United States has an opioid epidemic; our suicide rate is at a 30 year high; depression rates are climbing; and despite everything we know about happiness, more and more people are reporting unprecedented levels of dissatisfaction with life; we are doing terrible. As the book is being shared with others, I am getting messages from parents buying the book for their children; my youngest daughter getting emails from her 22-year old friends that the book’s message is extremely appealing to them and so over time I have come to see that the book is for anyone who wants to live long and well and be more inspired to be their best selves for all those they support, serve, lead and love.

Meet The Author

Greg Hiebert

Greg Hiebert is a highly sought-after leadership coach and educator who has studied the science of resiliency and positive psychology for more than twenty-five years. A graduate of West Point and the Harvard Business School and a former US Army officer, adjunct faculty member of Yale School of Management, and McKinsey consultant, Greg’s eclectic mix of experiences allow him to bring a unique wealth of knowledge and perspective to the science of well-being and success. He founded and runs leadershipForward, a leadership-performance firm serving clients throughout the country, and he has personally coached hundreds of professionals and teams in several industries, helping them find fulfillment and significance in their life and work.

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